


Remember Me

by HeyItsMontse



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Angst, Feelings, Gen, just a lot of feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-19
Updated: 2017-03-19
Packaged: 2018-10-07 21:01:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10369335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeyItsMontse/pseuds/HeyItsMontse
Summary: “My little sister lives there. She’s 78. She can’t remember who I am.”Or the one where Raphael's sister remembers him when she eats his food





	

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so my writing muscles are fairly rusty which is why I haven’t written anything in AGES so please be gentle with me. Also this fic is all [jacelightwoodsbutt](http://jacelightwoodsbutt.tumblr.com)’s fault because she’s the reason why I started watching Shadowhunters in the first place so all blame goes to her. This fic was mostly inspired by the scene with the tamales and Raphael being a softy about his little sister and I just got a lot of feelings about that.

_“My little sister lives there. She’s 78. She can’t remember who I am.”_

The Sunday following his culinary confession to Izzy, Raphael found himself making _asado de boda_. He hadn't made it since Teresa’s birthday a few months back. While the pork chunks fried, Raphael began to blend the spices and seasonings to make the sauce that went over the pork. As soon as both the sauce and park were combined, Raphael called one of the mundanes on the payroll to send the food out to the retirement home. He knew there wasn't much he could do for his little sister, but making one of her favorite dishes was the least he could do.

 

Nobody at the retirement home knew who exactly donated the mounds of food that were delivered to their kitchens every Sunday, but they were all grateful for it. The meals brought a pleasant change to all the residents and the staff could not have been more surprised or amazed than when they noticed the changes. Everyone was all smiles and laughs every Sunday evening. Even the most sick seemed to gain a little color and energy after each meal. The resident that most surprised the staff was Mrs. Ramos. She didn't always remember who she was or who her daughter was, which wasn't surprising considering the fact that she hardly visited her mother. In fact, of all of Mrs. Ramos family, the only one who visited her more than once a week was her granddaughter, Teresa. Teresa, who had been named after her grandmother, made sure to visit her _abuela_ at least four times a week, with Sunday being a permanent visit. She loved to hear _abuelita_ talk about her family, especially when she told stories of her big brother Raphael. This Sunday was no different.

 

Teresa knew that as soon as her grandmother took the first bite, her memories would come back to her.

“ _Esto tiene mucho piloncillo y chile guajillo_.”

Teresa smiled at her grandmother’s comment. Of course she found something in the dish to poke at. She always did. Which meant she was on the verge of a memory.

“It's not that bad, _abuelita_.”

_Abuela_ Teresa huffed as she pushed the pork around her plate. “Hmm, you know who would put too much _piloncillo_ and _guajillo_ in this _asado_? Your _tío-abuelo_ Raphael.”

Teresa watched as a faraway look came over her grandmother. “Tell me about him, _abuelita_.”

“Rafa was the best big brother any girl could ask for. And the best son too, if you asked your great-grandmother. He would watch me  everyday after school and whenever our mom would work late nights. And his cooking, _ay_ his cooking,” _abuela_ Teresa smiled dreamily, “it didn't compare to your great-grandmother’s, but it was a close second.”

Teresa held her grandmother’s hand and squeezed it gently. “You really loved his cooking, didn't you, _abuelita_?”

The older Teresa smiled. “Yes, I did.”

“What was your favorite dish?” Teresa knew her grandmother’s memory wouldn't last long and she yearned to hear stories from her grandmother's childhood.

“This one.” _abuela_ Teresa said with no hesitation, as she spooned a chunk of pork into her mouth. Her smile was so happy and endearing that the younger Teresa found herself blinking back tears.

_“Asado de boda_ was always my favorite, and Rafa would make it often, especially if it was cold out.” The older Teresa leaned back against her chair, her hands folded on her lap. “There was one day, a very long time ago, when he got mad at me and threatened to not give me any…”

The memory came to _abuela_ slowly…

 

_It had been the winter she had turned 13. The city had been covered in snow, making the walk home a little longer than usual. Teresa had left school not too long after Rafa, but had gone through one of the side streets that led away from home rather than towards. Rafa hated when she did that because it meant that he couldn't keep an eye on her, which meant she'd be getting herself into some kind of mischief. Teresa knew that Rafa would get upset with her, but she didn't care. She just wanted Rafa to be a kid again. She wanted her big brother to joke around with her like he did when they were younger. Rafa was only 14, but he carried himself with the presence of a man much older._

_She had been too busy thinking about her brother, that Teresa didn't notice she had strayed from her intended route. She had ended up in a neighborhood four blocks north of her own, which meant Rafa would not only be worried, but also furious. Turning back, Teresa hurried back to her own street. Just a few houses away from her own, she ran into Joaquín, a boy Rafa’s age who lived to bully everyone younger than him. Teresa really didn't like him. Not just because he was a bully, but also because he had a habit of being an arrogant, asshat who thought every girl wanted to be his girl. (Every girl his and Teresa’s age hated him, so everyone knew he was delusional)._

_As she tried to walk past him, Joaquín grabbed Teresa’s arm and smirked at her. “Eh, Teresita. When are we going out then? I know you've been dying to go out with me.”_

_“_ _Ni en tus sueños,_ _estúpido.”_ _Teresa pulled her arm free and began to walk away when Joaquín grabbed her again, only harder._

_“I ain't no idiot, niña.” Joaquín had pulled her closer to him even as Teresa struggled to pull free._

_Anyone who knew Teresa knew she didn't like being touched by anyone who wasn't her family or friend and since Joaquín was neither…_

_Joaquín fell to his knees, his hands cupping his crotch. Teresa may have been younger, but that only meant she was shorter, which gave her easy access to lower body parts._

_"You ever touch me again, and I swear to God I'll break your nose, Joaquín.”_

_As Teresa turned to walk back home, she saw Rafa standing not too far away from where she was. His face was doing that weird thing where it didn't know if it should be angry or if it should be proud._

_“_ _Que estabas pensando, Teresa?”_ _He was using his big brother, bordering on father voice. Teresa didn't particularly like that voice because it meant that Rafa was somehow disappointed with her._

_“There's nothing wrong with standing up for myself, hermano. You taught me that. I wasn't going to let him treat me like crap just because society says I'm supposed to be an obedient little girl.” Teresa huffed._

_Rafa’s face did its thing and settled on a grimace resembling weary acceptance. “I would never expect you of all people to go by society's rules, hermanita. Just remember this next time you go to confession, okay?”_

_Teresa rolled her eyes. “Fine, I'll say this at confession next time, I promise. Now, can we get outta here? I'm hungry and I know you're cooking tonight.”_

_“Well, you'd have ate already if you'd gone home like you were supposed to._ _El asado_ _is probably cold by now, so I'll have to heat it up. I shouldn't even give you any.” Rafa retorted as he curled his arm around the back of his little sister’s neck._

_“You're the best, you know that?” Teresa smiled up at her big brother as they walked back home._

_Rafa smiled back at his sister, pride blooming in his chest for how she had handled herself. “You're not too bad, either.”_

Teresa gazed at her grandmother as her fragmented mind pulled her back to the present. She wiped tears from her own face, and from her grandmother’s crinkly cheeks. The story hadn't been a sad one, but the younger Teresa knew what took place just a few months after that day, and her heart broke for her grandmother.

 

“You miss him, don't you, _abuelita_?” Teresa whispered to her grandmother, who had turned to look out of her bedroom window.

“ _Sí_ _,_ _”_ the word was spoken so softly, that Teresa had barely heard it, “but I know he's out there somewhere. I can feel it here,” the older Teresa had placed her hand over her heart and smiled, “and here too,” she said pointing at her belly. “Rafa always had a particular _sazón_ , and I'd recognize it anywhere.”

Teresa held her grandmother's hand and gave her a watery smile. “I hope he gets to visit you soon then.”

_Abuela_ Teresa smiled at her granddaughter. “Teresita! _Mi niña_ , you came to visit me!”

Teresa let out something between a laugh and a sob and held her grandmother's hand just a little tighter. “ _Sí abuela,_ of course I came to visit you. How have you been?”

 

“ _She can't remember who I am._ ”

" _And I can't forget about her._ "

**Author's Note:**

> you can follow my mess of a [tumblr](http://memoriescarvedlikeatattoo.tumblr.com) or my equally messy [twitter](https://twitter.com/HeyItsMontse).


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